


A Romcom in the Making

by dreamtowns



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Celebrity AU, Coping Mechanisms, Fluff, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Anxiety Disorders, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Depression, Implied/Referenced Eating Disorders, LGBTQ Themes, Light politics, M/M, Mild Angst, Miscommunication, Platonic Relationships, Social Media, this isn’t as sad as my tags say lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-25 14:25:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18263171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamtowns/pseuds/dreamtowns
Summary: In Prompto’s defense, his obliviousness is literally a well-known fact to the entire world. Noctis, on the other hand, has no excuse.(Wherein Prompto and Noctis have an adorable meet-cute at a bookstore, and Prompto assumes Noctis is a go-with-the-flow college student when he is, in fact, an international singer. Noctis, however, assumes Prompto’s a cheerful graduate trying to make it big when he is, in fact, a world-renowned actor.Their story is a literal romcom, and Iris Amicitia is nearly dying to write the script.)





	A Romcom in the Making

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Final Fantasy XV. All rights reserved to its developers: Square Enix. All that is mine is the plot of this story in particular and any original characters introduced. No copyright infringement intended. No money is being made from this work. This is purely for entertainment purposes.
> 
> Please enjoy! Feel free to give me some feedback and let me know what you liked/didn’t like, etc.! Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors in advance. I double-checked it before I published it but I’m only human lol.

**THE TALE OF TWO (LOVESTRUCK) IDIOTS – TENTATIVE SCRIPT**

_Camera pans around a quiet home in the sunrise, reaching a silhouette on the couch hunched over a laptop; they are typing._

_[WOMEN’S VOICE OVER]_ Now, I normally don’t write gossip or speculate much of the lives of other celebrities, but given the current events surrounding two of our most prominent public figures, I simply had to write down my thoughts. If you’re confused as to who I am referring to, let me give you some background information. It’s about the lovely documented romance -- or, rather, _pre_ -romance -- of one Noctis Lucis Caelum and Prompto Argentum.

Interested?

Well, let’s dive right in.

 

* * *

 

 

“Wake the fuck up.”

Prompto cracked one eye open and pouted at the shadowy figure standing above him. Crowe grinned, sharp and dangerous, right before she yanked his covers off him. Prompto whined, a long and pitiful sound, and made grabby hands at the duvet, shivering as the cold blasts from his AC hit him full-force.

“Crowe,” he said, “No.”

“Crowe, yes,” said Crowe. She placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. “Listen, I woke up early for you. I left my wife alone in our bed when I could have slept in, but, well, here I am. Get up before I pour water over you, brat.”

Prompto’s pout deepened. “You’re so mean to me.”

Crowe mocked him silently before she pointed in the direction of the bathroom and marched out of his bedroom. Knowing that she would follow her threat and douse him in water should he stay in place, Prompto dragged himself out of his comfortable bed and towards his closet to pick out an outfit for the day. Normally, Prompto was an early bird, and he liked being up early mainly so he could watch the sunrise peek over the skyline, but also because there was a certain peace and serenity discovered in mornings that he seldom found elsewhere.

Last night, however, he had attended a party with his cast members. They had completed their tour and the like for their show for the year, and while there would be more seasons, Prompto’s character had died and he wasn’t going to come back (sadly). He would miss working with the cast of _The Leiden Sunrise_ , but Prompto couldn’t deny he was excited to begin working on whatever Crowe had procured for him.

Once he dressed and showered, he found Crowe in the kitchen; the scent of coffee a godsend to Prompto’s still sleep-heavy bones.

“Ah, the drink of the gods,” Prompto said as Crowe slid a mug in his direction. He took a few sips, sighing in content, and then reached for an apple in his fruit bowl to munch on before he made breakfast. “Okay, hit me. What am I doing now?”

“First, you’ve a couple interviews and a talk show to attend,” Crowe informed him, tapping onto her iPad; she launched from big sister to manager seamlessly, and it made Prompto a little awed. “That’s all this week, so I decided to be generous and give you a two-week break before we go in the swing of things.”

Prompto took a gulp of his drink. “So, what you’re saying is that I’m, like, never gonna sleep again, huh?”

“Just about,” Crowe smiled.

“What’s after the break, then?”

Her smile brightened and became less snarky. “Guess.”

“It’s too early for guessing games,” Prompto complained, but then said, “Am I, like, gonna do some cameo in a Marvel movie?”

“In your dreams, sure.”

“Am I guest-starring on Disney again?”

“Nope.” Crowe made a negative noise. “What’s your next guess?”

Prompto tapped his chin in thought. “Well, I just got done with my TV series so – a movie?”

Crowe nodded. “You are!”

Prompto hopped in place. “What’s it about? Who’s the director? The cast? Am I gonna be in a supporting role or – ?”

“Slow down.” Crowe placed her hands on his shoulders, and he stilled. “Finish your coffee and actually eat breakfast, and I will give you the details.”

Prompto saluted. “Aye, aye.”

Crowe chuckled, fond and exasperated, and Prompto bustled around his kitchen to whip up a quick breakfast of eggs, toast, and a few strips of bacon. Once he gulped down the rest of his coffee, ate and washed his dishes, he settled into the living room where Crowe absentmindedly flicked through channels and scrolled through her phone.

“Okay, so the movie is called _Star of Lucis_ ,” Crowe began after she cleared her throat, and handed Prompto a sheet of paper with information. “It’s basically a road trip movie following an exiled princess and her retinue as they fight daemons and enemy soldiers to gain their kingdom back before a long ten years of darkness.”

Prompto blinked, eyebrows raising to his hairline. “Sounds pretty emotional, huh?”

“Oh, yeah, the scriptwriter said she really wanted people to cry when they watched it,” Crowe said, almost nonchalantly.

“Who’s the screenwriter?”

“Iris Amicitia.”

Prompto nearly choked on his spit. “Ohmygod – _Crowe_ , I might be working on something _Iris Amicitia wrote?”_

Crowe winced, leaning away slightly. “Prom, love, please control the volume of your voice before you shatter your living room windows.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Prompto rubbed the back of his neck. “I just – I love her works, really.”

“I know,” Crowe smiled, the edges of her eyes crinkling with the motion. “There’s a rumor she’s gonna be a character, too,” – here Prompto made another concerning noise – “but, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, yeah?”

Prompto nodded. “Sounds like a plan. What part am I auditioning for?”

“Right now, they’ve only really secured the main character, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret,” Crowe explained, and Prompto just barely contained his excitement because he and Luna were great friends (“squad goals,” as the internet liked to say), and working with her was always a good time. “And she and the director were both adamant that you, well, audition for the role of Oracle of Light.”

“Ooh, sounds fancy,” Prompto said and looked at the paper Crowe had typed up for him. It summarized the role he’d be trying out for, the location of the audition and the time, as well as other miscellaneous tidbits about his character. “So, basically, I gotta be, like, regal and shit?”

Crowe snorted. “Basically.”

“I can do that,” Prompto said. “I think this’ll be a good opportunity – also, you know I can’t say no to Luna.”

“No one can say no to Luna,” Crowe said dryly.

Prompto laughed. “Correct.”

After another ten minutes or so of discussion about the movie and the mock schedule Crowe pulled out of thin air, she stood and announced, “I’ve a dentist’s appointment in two hours, so I’m going to head out. You’ll be fine, yeah? Also, don’t tell anyone about this – director wanted to have it be a secret until they have the full cast and a trailer figured out.”

“My lips are sealed, don’t worry.” Prompto mimed zipping his mouth closed, and Crowe rolled her eyes. “And have fun at the appointment.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, pulling on her shoes. “Don’t cause too much chaos, brat.”

Prompto stuck his tongue out at her and made a face before he laughed and waved as she left his apartment. Unlike his fellow actors and actresses, Prompto never felt comfortable in houses with too many rooms and expensive décor. He had felt right at home when he discovered his apartment only three months before he had been officially scouted by Crowe, and he filled it with comfortable furniture that matched but didn’t (if that made sense), house plants, a little windowsill garden, and a beautiful view of a park.

After Prompto did a quick run-through of the script he needed to memorize for the audition, he decided to take a break and head to a local bookstore-slash-café he frequented. Those who worked there knew him from the days before he had become a Big Deal and, therefore, treated him like any other regular rather than a ridiculously famous actor who has starred in too many films and shows. Prompto was barely twenty-three, and yet his IMDb page was quite extensive.

Pulling on a beanie and some sunglasses to his hide his most distinctive features (not like it’d do much to help, really), Prompto slipped on his shoes, grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys, and left his apartment with a jaunty whistle.

He waved to a few of his neighbors walking around the apartment complex and kept a brisk pace so that he could make it to the bookstore without alerting the paparazzi that he had left his apartment. Normally (thankfully), they kept their distance due to the laws in place about journalists’ interactions with people of “higher status”, but there would always be a handful that completely disregarded personal space for the sake of trying to make Prompto lose control of his emotions.

“Mornin’, Prompto!”

Prompto smiled at the barista at her greeting as he entered the bookstore-café. “Mornin’! What’s today’s special?”

“A French vanilla chai latte,” she said. “Would you like that?”

Prompto nodded. “Sure do.”

“Awesome. For here or to go? Also, what size would you like?”

Once his order was settled and paid for, Prompto roamed the aisles in search of something new to read. He had never let go of his passion for reading (or writing, as well), and even with his chaotic scheduling, he always tried to make time to read a few pages of whatever book he was reading. He mostly unwound from a stressful day curled up in his reading alcove with a blanket over his shoulders and a cup of tea by his side as he read.

Lost in thought as he was, Prompto didn’t see the other person walking in his direction until it was too late. They collided with one another, almost painfully, and Prompto yelped as he found himself on the ground, elbow ringing painfully from where it’d jammed on the ground, and he blinked, dazed, as the person he’d bumped into started apologizing.

“I’m so, so sorry! Are you hurt? Dizzy – ?”

“It’s okay,” Prompto said, laughing. “No harm, no foul. Besides, I wasn’t paying attention either, really.”

“Ah, let me help you up.”

Prompto grasped at the hand in front of his face and allowed himself to be pulled upright. From the café part of the establishment, Selena called, “You two alright?”

“Yeah,” Prompto called back, and then turned to the stranger. “Are you okay?”

The man blinked, and then nodded. A light dust of pink curled over the bridge his nose. “Y-Yeah, I’m alright.” Then, his eyebrows furrowed as he gave Prompto a quick once-over. “Are _you_ alright? You’re the one who hit the ground, not me.”

“I’m right as rain,” Prompto assured.

“I really, really am sorry,” he continued.

Prompto tilted his head. The man was extremely attractive to the point where Prompto thought him to be a model or something equivalent, but he was dressed in very comfortable clothes that didn’t scream fashion designer nor did he recognize Prompto (which, honestly, Prompto was quite relieved about), and he had a well-worn shoulder bag on his shoulder.

A lightbulb flicked on. _Ah, he’s a college student, then?_

“How about you make it up to me, then?” Prompto suggested.

The boy quirked an eyebrow, shifting in a way that suggested wariness. “How?”

“Buy me a muffin,” Prompto said, and then motioned back to where Selena, the barista, worked on his and other’s orders. “From here, since I’m, like, in love with Mama Ulric’s blueberry muffins, and we’ll call it even. A done deal, kay?”

A small smile bloomed on his face. “Yeah, sure.”

Prompto gave a quiet cheer, succeeding in making the other laugh, and they walked back to the café section where Selena watched them with poorly concealed amusement. She walked to the front cashier with a bright smile on her face and asked, “What can I get ya, Noctis?”

 _So his name’s Noctis_ , Prompto thought to himself as Noctis ordered two blueberry muffins.

“No problem,” Selena said and grabbed two muffins from the display. “Also, Prompto, your latte is at your normal seat.”

“Thank you,” Prompto smiled, excited to try out their daily special.

“Mind if I join you?” Noctis asked with a head tilt, and Prompto shook his head.

“The more the merrier,” he replied, and was rewarded with another quiet smile.

“Was the blueberry muffins all you wanted to order?” Selena asked, interrupting their moment for restaurant protocol, and Noctis visibly floundered for a moment before he shook his head.

“Uh, actually….”

Prompto settled into the round table he normally sat by and took a sip of his drink. He probably shouldn’t have gotten the drink since he just had coffee but, well, you only lived once, as they say. A few minutes passed before Noctis slid into the empty seat across from him with a medium drink and two blueberry muffins.

For a moment, they were silent; more focused on their food and beverages than on conversation, and then Prompto straightened and asked, “So, do you attend school in the area?”

“I mainly do online lectures,” Noctis explained after he swallowed his drink (coffee, by the smell). “I travel a lot during the semester, so it’s just easier for me to, you know, do all that online.”

“Ah, the woes of being an undergrad,” Prompto teased.

Noctis’s lips quirked. “Oh? Are you some adjunct professor?”

Prompto snorted and shuddered a little. “Gods, no. I, actually, was able to graduate at, like, twenty.”

“How old are you now, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Prompto couldn’t help but smile. Noctis truly didn’t know who he was. “23 in, like, two months. How old are you?”

From the corner of his eye, he could see Selena make an exasperated, disbelieving expression at one of the expresso machines. Prompto hoped it wasn’t broken.

“23,” said Noctis. “So, you’re in graduate school or…?”

“Online, though,” said Prompto, which was, technically true. There were a few exams he had to show up in person for, but he was in a graduate program for his PhD and he honestly couldn’t wait for people to call him _Dr. Argentum_ (look, it had an amazing ring to it, you know?). “But there’s a class here and there that I show up for in person.”

Noctis nodded. “What’s it for?”

“Oh, mechanical engineering,” Prompto said, and then reared back when Noctis choked on his drink. “Dude, are you okay? Do we need, like, the ER?”

Noctis coughed for a moment before he waved his hand. “Sorry, sorry, it just went down the wrong pipe. So, mechanical engineering, huh?” Noctis leaned back and gave him an appraising look; Prompto felt a small heat creep up his neck at the look. “Someone’s smart.”

“Well, I should hope so,” Prompto joked, and then asked, “So, what’re you studying?”

A bright gleam entered Noctis’s eyes. “Marine Biology.”

Prompto made a curious noise in the back of his throat. “Do you have a favorite sea animal? I, like, adore turtles.”

“Fish, in general. Don’t really have a favorite species, though.”

“I take it you like fishing, then?”

“I love fishing,” Noctis said, heatedly.

They soon spiraled into easy conversation, switching from topic to topic almost simultaneously, but Prompto didn’t feel like it was rushed or forced conversation. They had a surprising amount of things in common with one another, though they obviously had differences here and there. Noctis had a kind and warm aura surrounding him, and Prompto was quite proud of his ability to read other people as it was an imperative skill in the sometimes-cutthroat world of acting. In fact, he felt quite comfortable talking about random subjects with Noctis that he was unaware of how much time had passed until Selena walked up to them with a regretful expression.

“Sorry, boys, but we’re closing for the day,” she apologized.

Prompto blinked. “Wait, what time is it?”

“Five thirty,” said Selena.

Noctis whistled under his breath. “I’m late for a meeting, and I’m gonna, like, get killed.”

Prompto barely smothered his snicker. “Good luck.”

“Listen, you don’t know fear until you get Iggy angry,” Noctis muttered as he stood and collected his trash. “Thanks for, uh, not kicking us out.”

Selena laughed. “It’s no problem. Have a great day, you two.”

Prompto grabbed his things and threw away his trash and left the bookstore after saying goodbye to Selena. Noctis trailed after him, their conversation picking back up, right before Prompto’s stomach interrupted their conversation with a hungered growl.

“Uh, oops,” Prompto said with a laugh. “Looks like it’s time to eat. I’ll, um, see you later?”

Noctis blinked and tilted his head before he, seemingly making a split decision, pulled out his phone. “Let’s exchange numbers.”

“Sure!” As Prompto entered his contact info on Noctis’s phone, and he did the same, he couldn’t help but take notice of a certain app. “Hey – is that King’s Knight?”

Noctis looked up sharply. “You play?”

“ _You play_ , he says,” Prompto teasingly mocked as he handed the phone to him. “The game’s literally my life line.”

“Same,” Noctis agreed, and then gave Prompto his phone back. “What’s your handle?”

“Don’t laugh, I was a literal baby when I made my account,” Prompto warned and waited for Noctis’s solemn nod before he said, in a low whisper, “xxdaemonxx.”

Noctis snickered a little, and Prompto smacked his upper arm with a pout. Distantly, he heard the quiet tell-tale click of a camera, but ignored it as he refused to let the paparazzi ruin his good mood.

“I said don’t laugh.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“Uh huh,” said Prompto, and then his eyes widened. “Wait, don’t you have a meeting to get to?”

“Oh, fuck.”

Prompto would’ve laughed, but he’s been in Noctis’s shoes before and, therefore, gave him a sympathetic pat to the shoulder. “I hope this, ah, Iggy won’t kill you for being late.”

“If he doesn’t, then Luche will,” Noctis snorted, and then gave Prompto a soft smile that made his bones melt from warmth. “I’ll, uh, text you later, okay?”

“Okay,” said Prompto, a little breathlessly, and then he waved goodbye as Noctis sprinted in the opposite direction.

From the doorway, Selena snorted. “Y’all are so hopeless.”

Prompto pouted. “What, is it Pick on Prompto Day?”

“Yeah,” said Selena, her lips quirked in amusement. “Didn’t you get the memo?”

“I’m never eating here again,” Prompto threatened jokingly, and Selena snorted; they both knew Prompto was too attached to the place to ever willingly leave it.

“Sure, sweetie,” she said, “Anyway, go eat. I can hear your poor stomach all the way from the breakroom.”

Prompto shook his head, fond and amused. “Yeah, I get it. I’ll see you later!”

“See yah!”

 

* * *

 

 **on break** @promptoargentum  
y’all i am so excited for this secret project u have NO IDEA  
8:00 P.M. • 4/4/759

> **Lunafreya Nox Fleuret** @officialluna  
>  _replying to @promptoargentum_  
>  can’t wait ;)            

**Prompto’s Official Fan Club** @PromptoArgentumOfficialFC  
is anyone else dying or is it just me?

>   **on break** @promptoargentum  
> y’all i am so excited for this secret project u have NO IDEA

**sabrina the teenaged witch** @ske69  
SOMETHINGS HAPPENING SOMETHINGS HAPPENING

>   **sabrina the teenaged witch** @ske69  
>  _replying to @ske69_  
>   im having literal heart palpitations _@promptoargentum_ _@officialluna_ what is UP

 

* * *

 

Prompto’s schedule, predictably, became jampacked after he met Noctis. To his surprise, though, their newfound friendship hadn’t suffered because of it; in fact, it seemed to flourish in spite of their busy schedules. Upon preparing for and attending the various interviews both with his ex-cast members and without, Prompto spent his free time either memorizing the scene he had to perform for his audition, texting Noctis, or sleeping.

The break Crowe scheduled for him was a godsend, and all Prompto did besides eat and sleep was reviewing his script and talking to Noctis.

(they talked quite a lot, as one could tell.)

It was just – easy, to talk to Noctis.

Their banter, often childish and corny, was like a breath of fresh air to Prompto as many people he found himself surrounded by were more focused on maintaining their image and the status quo and, if he were to be honest, such a lifestyle left him drained of energy. Not all their conversations were full of teasing and laughter, though most of them were, but sometimes they discussed heavier topics from time to time, mostly in the middle of the night.

Now, he had a brief respite from the hectic chaos that normally followed the end of one of his contracts, and he reclined on his chair. Pryna, an adorable cat he rescued and later adopted when he moved to Insomnia, curled up on his stomach with a satisfied purr. He chuckled and absentmindedly petted her as he scrolled through social media, stirring up fans’ interest with Luna.

His phone then buzzed with a text from Crowe.

 **Crowe:** I thought I said to not be chaotic

Prompto snickered as he thumbed back a response.

 **Prompto:** i am a dramatic gay, u know this crowe.  
**Crowe:** ur fired.  
**Prompto:** :(  
**Prompto:** guess i wont share my apple pie w u, then.  
**Crowe:** …. is it ur grandma’s recipe?  
**Prompto:** that depends on if i’m rehired or not  
**Crowe:** ok you’re unfired.  
**Prompto:** it is :D  
**Crowe:** the missus and i are coming over and im having my fucking pie.  
**Prompto:** okie. mind if i go over a scene or two tho? i wanna see if i got this scene right.  
**Crowe:** sure. b there in two hours  
 

As his social media feeds blew up with speculation and excitement from his fans and other artists, Prompto played with Pryna to busy himself as he waited for Crowe and her wife, and, true to her word, when two hours passed, his front door unlocked and Crowe said, in leu of greeting, “Where’s my pie, brat?”

Her wife, Stella Fleuret, a cousin of Lunafreya, shook her head in fond exasperation before she smiled at Prompto. “Evenin’, love. You said there was a scene you wanted to work on?”

Stella was an actress as well, and they worked on the television series that dropped the two of them in to fame and stardom; Stella, after she married Crowe, only really did guest appearances and one-liners, and focused her attention on nonprofits and community outreach.

“Yeah,” Prompto said and reached for the script on his coffee table. “I think I have my character down, but I think it’d do me good if I went over my audition scenes with someone who’s, you know, not my cat.”

Pryna yawned.

“Alright, then,” Stella smiled and then grabbed the extra script. “Would you like to start at the first scene or is there a specific one you’d like to practice first?”

Prompto rolled his shoulders. “Let’s start with the first.”

Stella cleared her throat. 

_“Your Grace, it is time to perform the ceremonial rites.”_

On cue, Prompto scowled darkly and replied, _“This is no ceremony, but a mockery and farce of what that Emperor,”_ – he spat out the word as though it were three day old coffee left in the sun –   _“considers proper tradition.”_

 _“Y-Your Grace,”_ Stella tried once again, lips trembling. _“Your Grace, the Emperor will punish you should you be late or not attend.”_

Prompto sighed and did not respond. The silent _then let him_ float between them.

_“It will heal the people’s hearts should they see you in good spirit and health.”_

_“If it is for the people,”_ Prompto started and then paused, turning as if to stare out a window. _“Then, I suppose I can endure what the Empire has in store for me. Are you aware of whom I am performing such rites on?”_

 _“No, Your Grace,”_ Stella replied. _“I only know it is of someone of important status in the Empire.”_

Prompto pursed his lips until they were a thin, unforgiving line. _“Of course, it is.”_ Then, his lips quirked in a mockery of a smile. _“Well, then. Let us play pet to the Emperor, shall we?”_

_“Yes, Your Grace.”_

“And scene,” Prompto said before he blew a raspberry and smiled at Stella. “That was awesome, Stells.”

“Thank you,” Stella beamed. “You did phenomenal, love – I truly believed you were my sworn liege.”

Prompto snorted, and said, “Want to go through the next one or do you want to take a break?”

“Let’s continue.”

They went through the scenes various times until Prompto perfected his character and body language to that of a graceful and esteemed Oracle of Light. From what he could gleam from the minimal pages, Prompto’s character – Lord Eden Nova Kri the II of the Azari Protectorate – was the exiled crown prince of the Kingdom of Azari, his entire family murdered by the Empire (which was unnamed in the script). His duties as Oracle of Light meant that he was a healer, but he also had a connection with the gods in the storyline; a connection the empire, apparently, coveted and wanted to control.

All in all, his character grew up as a glorified prisoner of war.

“I am quite excited for this to be aired,” Stella said as they took a break for takeout from a place that served Galahdian cuisine. “Luna will be starring with you, correct?”

“Yeah,” Crowe said seeing as how Prompto had his mouth full. “I think their characters are love interests, but I don’t know all the information.”

Prompto hummed.

While he didn’t mind playing as Luna’s love interest, he knew that there would be a resurface of rumors that stated they were childhood lovers too shy to confess their feelings to one another; never mind that Prompto and Luna both came out as gay when they were fifteen. Never mind that Luna was literally _married to a woman_.

Anyway.

Prompto was quite excited to start working on the project. That is, if he were to get the part. As if sensing his budding anxiety over the audition, Crowe nudged him.

“You’re gonna do fine, squirt,” she said, ignoring Prompto’s quiet protest that just because _she_ was six foot doesn’t mean _he_ was short at a respectable five six. “Don’t stress too much about it, alright?”

“Right,” said Prompto. “I’m not gonna stress about it, don’t worry.”

They all knew that he was, in fact, going to stress about it.

 

* * *

 

 

 **noct noct:** king’s knight in 5?  
**prom prom:** :D! u know it!

 

He plugged in his headphones so they could utilize the voice chat, and after they got through the pleasantries and greeting, they launched into the usual banter and shit talk as they worked on their group quests and the like. Halfway through a cave filled with hobgoblings, Noctis’s casual tone shifted.

Prompto hummed. “Everything okay?”

“Um.” Noctis cleared his throat; he sounded very, very nervous. “Uh, I wanted to ask you something?”

Prompto’s mouth dried. Ah. Was this where Noctis asked him if he were famous? If he _really_ was that actor always on TV? “Sure, buddy, what’s up?”

“Do – do you want to, uh, grab dinner on Saturday?” Noctis hesitantly asked, and then hastily added, “You know, if, um, you’re free and all. I know a grad student has a busy life.” He ended his sentence with a nervous laugh, and Prompto blinked.

After a quick thought, he replied, “I’m pretty free except for this meeting thing, but that’s in the morning, so we should be good to grab a bite and hang out.”

“That’s great,” Noctis said; he sounded like he was smiling. “But, I – I –,” he stuttered and tripped over his words, fading with a quiet, frustrated noise.

“Noct?” Prompto sat upright. From where she currently lounged on his ankle, Pryna blinked at him. “What’s going on?”

Noctis took a deep breath. “Prompto. I meant it as a date.”

“A date,” Prompto vaguely heard himself echo.

“Yes.” Noctis cleared his throat. “As in, I would – would like to date you. Like. Be in a relationship with you. And, um.” Noctis cleared his throat again. “I mean, if you, if you don’t want to, then it can be a friend thing, and I’m really, really sorry if I’ve made you, like, uncomfortable, and –.”

“Noct.”

“Y-Yeah?”

“I’d love to go on a date with you,” Prompto practically shouted; Pryna hissed at the volume, and Prompto gave her an apologetic scratch. “I have an idea, though – how about you plan the dinner, and I plan what we do after?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Noctis said, and then they were both swarmed by an influx of powerful demons and focused on getting out of the cave alive. “Is five a good time?”

“Yeah!”

Noctis hummed and, as he healed Prompto’s character, said, “Just so you know, I’m changing your name to have a heart in it.”

Prompto snickered. “We’re gonna be _that_ couple, huh?”

“Oh, _definitely.”_

Prompto couldn’t wait for Saturday, and he knew Noctis couldn’t either.

**Author's Note:**

> im challenging myself to write and complete a chapter fic so welcome aboard, y’all.


End file.
